Sabastian Sawe runs fifth-fastest time in impressive marathon debut

Kenya's Sebastian Sawe went fifth in the all-time list after winning Sunday's Valencia marathon in 2hr 2min 5sec on his debut in the event.

Only compatriots Kelvin Kiptum and Eliud Kipchoge, and the Ethiopian pair of Kenenisa Bekele and Sisay Lemma, have gone faster than Sawe, the world half-marathon champion in 2023.

Ethiopia's Megertu Alemu took almost two minutes off her personal best to claim the women's title in 2hr 16min 49sec.

The marathon went ahead in Valencia just a month after floods swept through the Spanish city.

The disaster left 230 people dead, flooding having also washed away roads and destroyed homes and businesses.

Race Report

The men’s event had been billed as a thrilling showdown between experienced specialists such as Lemma, Deresa Geleta and Bekele, versus some promising debutants including Sawe and Hillary Kipkoech.

Perfectly paced by a trio of pacemakers – Kenya’s Samwel Mailu, Erick Sang and Vincent Nyageo – the leading men went through the opening 5km in 14:31.

That cadence was maintained until the leading pack reached the 10km checkpoint in 29:04 and 15km in 43:39. By then, nine athletes remained at the helm including all the favourites, Geleta and Lemma running closest to the pacemakers.

The halfway mark was passed in 1:01:17, 42 seconds slower than last year’s split when Lemma set the course record of 2:01:48.

Unlike last year, when he performed conservatively over the first half, Bekele was running quite bravely as the 42-year-old travelled in third or fourth place.

But some two kilometres later, the multiple Olympic and world champion began to lose ground and by the 28th kilometre the relentless 2:55/km rhythm whittled down the leading pack to five: Kenya’s Mateiko and Sawe plus Ethiopia’s Geleta, Lemma and Birhanu Legese.

Once the last pacemaker dropped out with the clock reading 1:33, Lemma began to falter to lose any chance of retaining his title. At the front, Mateiko and Geleta broke away from Sawe and Legese, those pairs separated by 30 metres inside the 32nd kilometre.

It was Mateiko, who was not able to finish the Chicago 2023 and London 2024 marathons, who seemed to decide the victory was in his favour shortly afterwards as he became a lonesome leader. The three-time Valencia half-marathon podium place finisher had built a five-second gap on Sawe and Geleta, while Legese could not maintain that pace and travelled in fourth place way back.

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Mateiko’s getaway proved to be short-lived as he was reeled in by Sawe and Geleta at the 36th kilometre, when the predicted final time remained at 2:02:35.

It was then that the eventual winner found another gear to speed away easily from Mateiko and Geleta, who finished fifth at the Paris Olympics. Sawe, who has completed all his nine half marathons under the 60-minute barrier, upped his pace to the 2:48/2:50 range to gradually extend his lead.

By the 40km point he clocked 1:55:42, 20 seconds ahead of Geleta, while a tired Mateiko travelled another 35 seconds in arrears.

Sawe showed a magnificent display of solo running over the closing kilometres, going faster and faster as the end was approaching to finally finish unopposed in a world leading performance of 2:02:05, including a 14:06 closing five kilometres.

Men Results

1 Sabastian Sawe (KEN) 2:02:05

2 Deresa Geleta (ETH) 2:02:38

3 Daniel Mateiko (KEN) 2:04:24

4 Alphonce Simbu (TAN) 2:04:38

5 Tadesse Abraham (SUI) 2:04:40

6 Chimdessa Debele (ETH) 2:04:44

7 Maru Teferi (ISR) 2:04:45

8 Hillary Kipkoech (KEN) 2:04:45

9 Samuel Fitwi (GER) 2:04:56

10 Sisay Lemma (ETH) 2:04:59

Women Results

1 Megertu Alemu (ETH) 2:16:49

2 Stella Chesang (UGA) 2:18:26

3 Tiruye Mesfin (ETH) 2:18:35

4 Evaline Chirchir (KEN) 2:20:33

5 Majida Maayouf (ESP) 2:21:43

6 Chimdesa Kumsa (ETH) 2:21:54

7 Laura Luengo (ESP) 2:22:31

8 Isobel Batt-Doyle (AUS) 2:22:59

9 Moira Stewartova (CZE) 2:23:44

10 Sara Hall (USA) 2:23:45

Additional reporting by World Athletics.